A Bit of Boo

Last year was the first Halloween in our new home.  I was very excited to decorate the front of our place and welcome all sorts of little ghouls and goblins.  Our porch was complete with huge black spiders, pumpkins covered in little spiders, a big black crow to eat them all, and of course plenty of spider webs.  Unbeknownst to us, every Halloween our little town shuts down Main St. and hosts all sorts of festivities and trick-or-treating opportunities for the kids…which I think is fantastic!  But, what did that mean for us?  It meant two trick-or-treaters…well, three, if you count the kids that came back a second time.  Boo.

This year when October 1st came around, not only did I not have my decorating act together, but I think I was still feeling deflated from last year.  Plus, I come to find out my husband doesn’t care much for Halloween decorations!  WHAT?!  In fact, he practically broke out in hives when I forced him into our local Halloween store.  So, I’m sorry to report that Weekend Decorator did not spend a weekend decorating for Halloween this year.  Boo.

Fortunately, my friend Evelyn LOVES to decorate for Halloween.  She and Musician Husband (of The Best Nest fame), along with their upstairs neighbors, hosted their second annual Halloween party and went all out again this year.  A couple weeks ago, I joined Evelyn at the Long Beach Antique Market in search of some decorations for their Masquerade-themed party.  We found some great stuff.  Woohoo!

Here are a few shots from the party.

We found a fantastic candelabra (and huge chandelier) at the LB Antique Market.

Evelyn scouted a couple of these photos at the Antique Market.

We found two of these concrete busts at the Antique Market, too!  They easily weigh 80lbs each…thank you MH and Brandon for hauling them to the car!

The masquerade theme was woven throughout the entire house, including movie clips of masquerade balls projected onto a big screen.

Halloween is by far my favorite holiday.  People’s creativity always blows me away.  Fortunately, I got to be vicariously creative this year.

Tune in next week when I’ll be back home with a new project of my own.

The Best Nest

I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve lived most of my life with a stereotype about people who decorate.  People like artists, designers and architects liked making their home look stylish and enjoyed decorating it; and people like doctors, lawyers and accountants didn’t care, didn’t know how or didn’t want to bother.  Happily, my friend Evelyn Best blew my stereotype to pieces.  She’s a lawyer, and she can decorate!

Evelyn and her musician husband rent the bottom level of a Spanish Colonial Revival style residence that’s perched on a cliff overlooking the beach.  And she definitely doesn’t let living in a rental hold her back from personalizing it.   She’s got an amazing canvas to work with, and paints it with style.   Her eclectic, yet cohesive, mix of furnishings only heighten the character of their unique apartment.  Evelyn draws inspiration from many things, and impressively brings it all home; no matter how big, how heavy, how intricate or how difficult to make.  And equally impressive, she does so for a steal!

 

 That awesome chandelier was inspired by a similar fixture Evelyn saw in a local restaurant.  She found a manufacturer to build and install it.  See, impressive.

That fabulous table was a score at an estate sale.  The white upholstery of the chairs and sofa connects you to the light, airy beach setting right outside those doors.

This regal chair was Evelyn’s gift to herself on her 30th birthday.  I love the pillow with it!

This gorgeous flush mount ceiling fixture was an antique market find.

Do any of you remember that (not for sale) swing bed in the Anthropolgie catalogue?  Evelyn found someone to make and install one for her!

She saw a similar heart sculpture on Apartment Therapy.  So, guess what?  She found someone to make and install one for her!

A gift from Musician Husband…fellas, take note.

Evelyn’s super sweet vanity and her solution to necklace organization…her closet rod!

This is where Musician Husband listens to records.

Their personal art gallery.  Love it!

Inspired?  Me, too.

Tune in next week for a Bit of Boo!…

Rustic Hippie

After Kev and Kim’s wedding we headed to Big Sur for a 3-day mini vacation.  We found an amazing (dog-friendly!) cabin through Vacation Rentals By Owner (VRBO.com).  The owner, a telecommuting bond trader, and his wife built two cabins on their 12-acre property in the woods.  We had the pleasure of staying in one of the cabins, appropriately named Serenity.

Understandably, the community in and around Big Sur has a pretty big hippie vibe, a very “one with nature” lifestyle.    After all, it is the home to The Esalen Institute.  We first picked up on this vibe when we settled into Serenity.  I’ll call the décor, Rustic Hippie.  Exposed wood paneling, nothing but forest views, and banners reminiscent of college dorm rooms at The University of Oregon.  It was a relaxing and special place, and just what we were looking for.

…welcomes you.

The cabin.

Harmony.  Peace.  Love.  Happiness.

A room with a view.

I love lamp.

The bathroom was AWESOME…until it rained.

No, that’s not wallpaper.

Rustic Hippie may not be our style (despite being Oregon and Cal grads), but it made sense at the cabin.  Style and decor can easily be influenced by one’s surroundings, and in turn make a connection to the community.

Cassius connected with the Big Sur community in his own way.  Here he is being “one with nature”:

Tune in next time for The Best Nest…

It’s French, Right?

Last weekend we attended the wedding of our friends, Kevin and Kim.  They were married at the Long Branch Saloon & Farms located just south of Half Moon Bay, CA.  The western themed venue was a wonderfully charming and unique setting for a wedding!

I always see weddings as a decorator’s version of a flash mob.  Place, time, decorate, dismantle.  From that standpoint, my favorite weddings are those with a theme woven into every detail.  It’s like decorating a home.  Start with a theme, tackle it as a cohesive unit, and pull all the details together.

Kev and Kim’s wedding location dictated the theme, and they went for it!  It was fantastic.  According to Kev, Kim applied her style and he did the spreadsheets.  It was straight out of the pages of Style Me Pretty, and then some.

Check it out!

THE INVITATION:

This was our introduction to the wild-west extravaganza!

THE SETTING:

A wild-west town in the middle of the 21st century, complete with a chapel, saloon and western style card room.

THE ENTERTAINMENT:

This was not just a wedding, it was pure entertainment.  In addition to drinking and dancing, the post ceremony activities included gambling for prizes, “calf” roping, Ring the Bell, sling shot, archery, mini golf, and a photo booth with props.

THE SPECIAL TOUCHES:

This is the part I love most…all the little details.  Kim’s dress falls into this category, too.  It was perfection; western enough, yet totally modern.

My husband and I, of course, forgot to bring our camera to the wedding.  But fortunately, Kev and Kim set up a photo-sharing site so their guests could upload personal photos of the event.  I wish I could take credit for these great photos, but they’re courtesy of Kev and Kim’s friends and family…whew!

Congratulations to The Ser-vay-ohs!